Cruel Promise

Titan Falls #0

by Ketley Allison

She's always been in his shadow ... until he decides to make her his obsession.

I shouldn’t have kept watching.

I was only 16, but every time I was around my best friend’s older brother, I lost control of my senses.

Tempest Callahan.

Sea glass green eyes. Sculpted marble skin. And a crooked, ruthless grin.

Then I witnessed something I shouldn’t have.

Me, so sheltered and isolated in my father’s manor, stood frozen in place instead of running for my life.

Four years without Tempest should have cured me, but when he sneaks up on me at my freshman orientation, murmuring “You should never have put yourself back on my radar, princess…”

I’m done for. Again.

I can’t resist his touch or how he makes me feel.

But when his loyalty is tested, he’s forced to make a choice that could cost us both everything.

I knew he was a bad guy. I saw it with my own eyes.

But I never believed how twisted he’d become…

Until the night he forces me to relive a nightmare and kidnaps me from my bed.


--

Cruel Promise's lush, gothic scenes and deliciously dark hero can be enjoyed as a standalone.

IMPORTANT: Please check trigger/sensitivity warnings in the Reader's Note if you prefer to know what to expect going in. ❤️

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, College, Smut

434 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2022

About the author

Author of Romantic Suspense, New Adult, and mature YA.

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Reviews

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This novel is for fans of super dark romances.

Ardyn had always had a crush on Tempest, her BFF's older brother. Now that she's going to the same college as Tempest, she wants to prove to him that she's not the same little girl he had known years ago. But Ardyn doesn't know that Tempest is part of a gang that does the unimaginable. He has killed and tortured numerous people. Can Ardyn handle being in Tempest's world?

I wish the characters were fleshed out more and had more development. Especially with the side characters and the relationship between Ardyn and Tempest. They didn't feel real enough. Other than that it was a good read. I would only recommend this to fans of dark romance and those who don't mind rougher play. (There were a few iffy and WTF moments.)

***Thank you to NetGalley, Ketley Allison, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 ⭐️ (this is a first)
no 🌶 rating bc it was uncomfortable to read

Tropes:
- dark gothic romance
- best friend’s brother
- enemies to lovers
- obsessive villain x innocent heroine
- virgin heroine
- college setting

POV: first person - dual

Type: stand-alone

I never give books one stars. It just doesn’t happen. I DNF books all the time but i purposely finished this book just so I can write this review.

I could not get past the fact that there was a “dub con” scene that full on felt like a play on child r*. I have never felt more uncomfortable reading a “romance” book.

So much went into it but the main thing that was beyond uncomfortable was “one scene that could be considered dub-con” (those are the authors words). I don’t mind dub-con but this went beyond that. So the hero kidnaps her (bc he wants to scare her away from him to keep her “safe”) ties her naked to a chair with other men around to see and pretends to be be the three men who kidnapped her when she was a 10yr old girl. He brings back this traumatic experience but along the way she figures out one of the guys is actually the hero rather than her childhood kidnapper but she decides to play along and come up with a story that she had been in love with this old ass kidnapper since she was a little girl and was glad he “came back for her like he said he would”. The hero is thinking wtf is wrong with her but goes along with her story as if he were this old man. More back and forth that leads to the hero roughly taking her virginity while she’s tied to this chair.

Here are some quotes:

“𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡?”

“𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙚.” LIKE WHAT 🤢

“𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨? 𝙏𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮?” “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙? 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙗𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪?”

and then later the heroine all of a sudden admits she LOVED IT

“𝙏𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡. 𝙈𝙮 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙣. 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮.”

He LETS his “friends” plus a guy he doesn’t like see her naked when she’s drugged and tied to a chair.

“𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣, 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣?” 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙨.

Puts his belt around her neck as a leash then hands it off to his best friend to walk her dorm.

The most half assed epilogue that shouldn’t even be titled epilogue. It was a sex scene that picked off right where the last chapter ended. That’s it. The hero was acting all lovey dovey within the 3pg epilogue, it felt unnatural.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star rating: ★★★☆☆
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This had a lot going on… and it didn’t really mesh well. Like this had a mafia vibe, a paranormal ghost vibe, gothic academic vibe, murder mystery vibe, bully romance… like the author just did SO MUCH with this story it felt like it was too much and too chaotic. I wish she just kind of picked one to focus on instead of having so many little additions of all these tropes/vibes.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine.
I liked the actual story better though.
I didn’t need to know Arden’s relationship with Tempest. I didn’t particularly like either of them in the books, and now I think I like them even less.
I think Tempest was better in Clover’s story, when I didn’t know his POV.
Now he feels less dangerous and a little boring.

I hated Arden in the books and I hated her here too. She’s the usual annoying MC.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempting, dark, and witchery ghost all consume this story!

"What Tempest and I have is undefinable and addictive. A frightening mix."

Going I liked the warning knowing Tempest would be and stay a villain, so seeing him in all his chaotic states was crazy! Ardyn has always had a little crush on her best friends brother but one night changes both their fates. Ardyn went from the girl locked in her tower to locked in a psych ward. Well now she's in college ready to take on the world with Clover. The only problem is there are more ghost then Ardyn may be ready for and they are terrifying when they pop up! Tempest is the king of seduction he knows when to push Ardyn where he wants her. Tempest and Ardyn together were a chaotic couple they tested each others limits. Ardyn is no shy little wallflower, her survival instinct were enough to match everything Tempest would throw!

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

idk how I found this one tbh - but I LOVE a lil bad boiiiiiii !!

bonus pts for best friend's hot &&& grumpy older brother

[Amy Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK UNIVERSE

7/5 stars

"Which man do you want? This one?" He Squeezes my throat. "Or this one?"
"Because I promise you princess I can't be both" - Tempest.

I was blessed with an ARC of this book and OMG! I give all the praise to you Ketley, you definitely turned up the heat in this one; I have been so in love with this world since I found the Briarcliff series on Amazon. This is based in the same world as the Nobles and Virtues only its more of a spin off. Our main characters Tempest and Ardyn have officially bumped themselves up on my list of top 5 dark romance relationship loves. He is definitely the villain of the story, so be fairly warned he is the "I'll burn the world down to save her" kid of guy.

I will keep this review vague on details of the story because I feel like it makes the read so much more exciting, although you do not have to read The Briarcliff or The Winthrope series to read this book, I HIGHLY recommend you do because I feel like it elevates the experience. I am ready for more, and I will try to be patient as we wait for the next book in the Titan Falls series. My book loves, I strongly recommend you read this one, especially if you enjoy dark romance with a best friends brother trope.

[BooksForDays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Temptest is quite literally the most tempting, merciless, ruthless, perfect, and utterly captivating man/villain ever... and this book is just all consuming and filled with heartwarming darkness!! Titan Falls is everything sinister and filled with darkness... so many secrets and lies fill the air and we get a PERFECT villain with a sweet heroine that has a bit of darkness in her that she isn't aware that she wants to unleash! It is impossible not to fall for Temptest as everything he says and does pulls you in, never to let you go. He is definitely a villain with questionable methods, but he has a beautiful heart of gold, though he is still a villain through and through. :)

The only thing I will say before I begin my review is that I really really REALLLLLLLY hope this isn't the end of Temptest... I know at the end of the book Ketley says this is the final journey of Temptest.. but I really feel like we need more, and I am not just saying that because I am completely addicted to Temptest, but I am saying this because I feel like his and Ardyn's story should be more than one book, and rather a series.. and I am not complaining because Ketley is QUEEN but I just feel like there is so much more potential and that it ended as more of a happily for now than a happily ever after since even the epilogue isn't showing us their future (i.e. married, with kids, does Temptest take over Ardyn's fathers business since she wasn't interested and he was such interested in it.. I would say he deserves it after all he has been handed in life).. do you get what I am saying? I just feel like their is so much more to their journey that we won't be able to see if this is the final book of their journey. I mean sure we will see them as side characters in the other books in this series but it won't be the same... it just feels like right when their relationship was starting the book ends :( BUT STILL I AM SOOO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!!

We all know Temptest from Briarcliff Academy and I loved seeing all his craziness and how wild he could get. BOW DOWN TO KETLEY BECAUSE THE HEAT AND THE THRILL we get from Temptest is OTHERWORLDLY. This world is everything and I have been obsessed and in love since Briarcliff Academy, which obviously this is in the same world as the Nobles and Virtues as it is a spin-off. Ardyn has always had a crush on her best friends brother, ever since she was a little kid. He has always been forbidden to her.. and Temptest has always seen Ardyn as forbidden fruit, though he never really cared for her when she was a kid but later realizes how much he actually did care for her in the past when he realizes he is in love with her and how a lot of their past is a reason for why he had these inexplainable feelings to want to protect her (trying to say so much without spoiling) in the beginning of the book before their relationship grows.

Ardyn has always lived a very sheltered life and she struggles with trauma, panic attacks, nightmares, and such, due to her being kidnapped when she was ten years old and held for ransom for weeks. One night, she sneaks out to visit an art auction with her two besties, Clover and Mila. This requires a lottttt of effort due to Ardyn being securely guarded at her house, and instead of having one of their drivers pick them up (due to the potential of them notifying the parents), Clover gets her brother to give Ardyn and Mila a ride. Ardyn sees something she should not have seen which changes both her and Temptest's lives completely. After an accident, she wakes up with Mila dead next to her and she gets sent away to a psychiatric institution. Then she reunites with her other bestie Clover at Titan Falls University after not speaking with her for two years. Temptest has always been interested in Ardyn but now he is obsessed with her, just like she is obsessed with him. He unveils the little bit of darkness hidden inside her and shows her to how to give in to the darkness and bring it to the surface. He makes her feel safe without needing to treat her kid gloves or like a china doll. She has suffered through such traumatizing events in her life, but they have only made her stronger. Temptest is cunning and demeaning and a total villain with a warm heart that only Ardyn is able to bring out in him. He is a complex guy that is dark and deliciously twisted. It breaks my heart about all of what he endured with having such a horrible father, as he is the reason Temptest is even at Titan Falls in the first place.. but also thank GOD for that because obviously this was all meant to happen as it did so that him and Ardyn could be together (though that being said, Ardyn isn't a random girl at the University, as they've known each other since they were kids/before TFU soooo maybe it didn't need to happen the way it did.. hmmm). He will do anything to make sure that those he loves are protected. He is so loyal and caring.. that being said, he can be a true merciless devil too. Him and Ardyn are truly the perfect match, two halfs of a soul, soulmates, EVERYTHING. They are like a burning inferno, a wildfire, explosive.. these two are just perfection.. complete perfection for each other. Temptest owns my heart, soul, mind, body, EVERYTHING, forever and after and forever and always for all of eternity!!!! MINE. MINE. MINE. MINE.

I am completely addicted to them and cannot wait for the rest of this series to come out! I am so so excited for Clover and Rio's book!! Also, still crossing my fingers that this isn't the last book on Temptest and Ardyn as I mentioned in the beginning of this review!! I Highly HIGHLY recommend this book as Ketley Allison truly creates one-of-a-kind masterpieces and knows exactly what she is doing. Favorite authorrrr of all times! Will Temptest and Ardyn be able to get past all the unveiled secrets Temptest hid? Will Ardyn let her fear of what she remembers overrule her desire for Temptest? Looks like you need to read this NOW to find out. :)

[Lammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique Read

This book was a mix between a mob book, a secret society book and the supernatural. I haven’t read anything quite like this before and it was great!

Loved the chemistry between Tempest and Arden - both if these characters are so unbalanced and just what the other needs.

I haven’t read the Briercliff series but I will definitely be getting to it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's always the forbidden fruit that tastes the sweetest."

Tempest Callahan!! Cruel Promise is a forbidden best friend's brother romance set in dark academia, equally atmospheric and mysterious. Deliciously dark and twisted, Tempest was everything I wanted in an anti-hero and more. Dominant and manipulative, he was cold and heartless, caught in a dangerous world and unapologetic for the way he lived his life. When Ardyn showed up at Titan Falls University, she flipped his world upside down, leading to questionable decisions that could have destroyed everything.

Ardyn Kaine, the fractured heiress locked away in a gilded cage, guarded and protected, struggled with social isolation and nightmares, merely trying to survive after the loss and trauma from her past. Innocent yet fierce and determined, she enrolled at Titan Falls to find freedom and regain her independence in an effort to prove she was no longer delicate and fragile. She always had a crush on her best friend's older brother, Tempest, but she wanted to remember the lost boy he once was, not the morally corrupt man he had become.

Tempest and Ardyn were two broken souls, shattered by the past. Overprotective and possessive, Tempest claimed Ardyn as his own and stopped at nothing to keep her safe. He simply craved her. She was his obsession and his downfall. I loved how they pushed each other to the limits, teasing and testing, but he never broke her. She was addicted to him and falling for the villain but she still wanted to show Tempest the good that was left inside him.

"I'm not going to stand on the outside and watch him go down in flames. I want to be beside him when he burns."

I loved how Ardyn brought a calming presence to Tempest. Yet everything between them was intense and heated, dirty and filthy, pain mixing with pleasure and creating the sense of control Ardyn had lost. Good mixed with evil until they became indistinguishable. But even though the fire between them was undeniable, I never really felt they had any emotional connection beyond that.

Elements of witchcraft and the occult were woven into the plot, adding a dark, gothic, mysterious edge. At times, the rituals overwhelmed the romance and slowed down the flow of the story but they also intensified the happenings within the college grounds. Hot professors were more than what they seemed, depraved and indifferent through murder and sacrifice and a secret society with rules of its own explored the depths of inhumanity. Check the extensive trigger warnings before reading.

The narrators, Veronica Landon and Liam Dicosimo, perfectly captured the essence of Ardyn and Tempest, holding my rapt attention throughout. Ardyn's strength and Tempest's darkness came through their words and I can't imagine anyone who could've carried this out better in their narration. I simply devoured every word they spoke.

** Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available June 27, 2023. **

[Jessica LoGuirato · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up!
Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book is a pretty dark romance and is probably not for everybody. It contains abductions and has some questionably consensual scenes but if you’re into dark romance it was a good read.

[Chronic Chihuahua · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imagine Doing The Brave Thing And Choosing Your Own Vagina Over Your Murdered Best Friend.

So like, he does nothing between revealing he murdered her friend and caused her brain to break (yeah remember that part?) Causing emotional trauma that is enough to untether her from her memories.

Untethering like that takes a MASSIVE amount of Emotional and Mental Torture.

Losing access to memories is PTSD.

He gave her PTSD.

And this is love.

She's laughing at the end about not thinking of her past, because that would remind her what he did to someone SHE CLAIMS to care about.

Someone who was trying to save her life at the end.

I mean he SAID he wouldn't do it again but abusers say stuff.

So what?

How can I believe this man who brutalised her so much, is not going to do it again?

At no point do his actions make her feel loved.

In fact, they drive her towards self-harm and allowing him to abuse her.

She is getting hurt in like a month when his trauma thrall wears off.

Dysphoria is not a choice.

And the only way to get over Dysphoria is POSITIVE affirmation...not sexual assault.

"But she knew"

Yeah and submitted.

Your Vagina is a bundle nerves.

A physiological response is not consent or pleasure.

This is a Trauma bond no different to those girls who you find after decades with children and grandchildren to their abusers.

Ask any social worker, Abusers LOVE their victims.

Most don't want to do the abusing.

Anyway, so like, this heroine grew...in no way. We see her never once learn to stand up to him.

Even at the end she lets him talk over her when she does want hurt.

She is chronically infantilised this entire book but because you are trained that HIS feelings for you feed you...they don't, that is literally her story over.

She "understands" that he butchered her mate.

She's a placeholder for the Author's Rape Fantasy.

Virginity isn't real.

It is a myth made up by Alpha Males.

You know why they made it up? They died young. Needed little girls to control their genetic immortality.

The studies show women want their men to learn kindness.

The studies show that men are the peacocks.

Vaginismus is not a Myth.

We have evidence of the Alpha Male dominating women into have physical health defects from their awful Mental Health imposed by men wanting to protect them and husbandise them.

The Kahun Papyri show that men have been baffled by how "hypochondriacs" were always women, showing how women were clearly suffering mental health issues that bleed into Chronic Pain and Anxiety and other issues.

"Hey, I caused you severe trauma so your brain broke AS A TEEN, I did it for Love."

Autonomy is the most Important Human Right, not Life.

Author is a Nice Conforming Lawyer, Loves the Patriarchial Parables she writes.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruel Promise

Plot: 1
Writing: 1
World Building: .5
Characters: 1
Themes: .5
4/5

Spice: 4/5
Narration: 4/5

What you can expect:
- Gothic vibes (spooky, paranormal in a college setting)
- Gaslighting
- Light blood play
- Kidnapping


The gaslighting in here by Tempest is insane. He's such a dick. It's hot. lol (dark girlies will understand). This book is NOT for everyone. It's a dark romance with triggers so if you're not used to dark romances, don't start here!

Ok, replaying the kidnaping as a spicy scene is a way to help Ardyn cope with everything. S/M is sometimes used for r@pe victims so role play the scene and take back control/healing. So it wasn't Tempest glorifying Ardyn being a little kidnapped girl, I think that's a misunderstanding.


I'd recommend this for those who liked books like Haunting Adeline, Heartless Heathens, or Satan's Affair. It's dark, twisted, and hot.

The audiobook was easy to listen to and quick to get through. I'm not the biggest fan of the male narrator doing the FMC's parts. It's really tough to do that right so it's not the biggest deal but it took me out of the story at times. Otherwise the dual narration was good.

I received an advanced listener copy from Netgalley and Dreamscape Media. This is my honest review.

[Ashley B - Cozy with Pitties · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, this one is a dark romance that takes place in a dark gothic collage with ties to witches, mafia and a very morally grey man. Arden our main character has been through a lot sense she was a little girl, a kidnapping at 10 and than a horrible accident where she loses her best-friend. Years later she has claimed her power back and ready to go to collage with her best friend clover. The problem is her brother Tempest. He doesn’t like Arden and he isn’t shy about telling her, but it isn’t really that he doesn’t like her but he doesn’t know how to handle the feelings she brings out in him and he wants to protect her from the world he is in. As this goes on we get some dark scenes and settings and I have to same the first time that Arden and tempest are together just felt a little unrealistic to me. I did enjoy the dark vibes tho and the Characters but I also felt like it ended really quick with not really a tie up of what happens with the characters like I like in a romance novel. But overall I did enjoy this and the narrators where good for this one! It had two voices for the characters and they did a great job!

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and twisty in all the right ways to make this college bully romance a fun listen! The dual narration also really helps to bring the characters, their emotions and the darkness of the story line together in a manner that will have you staying up way too late to finish listening to this steamy romance. Pleasure and pain combine to make an explosive listening experience! There is a serious push vs pull in this good vs evil leading to love in the gray areas! This is my first book by this author, but you can bet I'll be looking for more audiobooks from her very soon!

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Mim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one. The narrators were fantastic however I felt like they really made the book though.

Overall it was enjoyable but the ending was quite abrupt and the storyline was not finished. It also felt like this wasn't a standalone. I probably would of enjoyed it more if I had read the other books that were in the same world if any because it certainly felt like that.
Is this it? or is there a book 2?
who knows.

I was not expecting the content though, so I would suggest adding a content warning at the start of the audiobook.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark in so many ways

This story acts as a bridge between the earlier series and the newer Titan Falls series. It’s been a while since I read the earlier ones but you can enjoy the story without having read them.

Titan Falls is an area with a dark history - it only makes sense that the students who attend the university there have equally dark pasts. Ardyn and Tempest are no exception. This is a best friend’s older brother/bully romance. There’s a lot of potential triggers so take the warnings seriously. Despite that, the read is worth it.

[Sara Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well damn. A+ for keeping me interested and questioning my sanity at the same time. This is like dark academia but with a mafia type secret society? Theres also witchcraft, tarot and ouija boards. Both main characters have been through it so they have tons of trauma. I wouldn’t even call the MMC morally grey. More like a straight up villain. The gothic vibes and emotional intensity definitely had me hooked. This would make for a good spooky season read but you really need to check the trigger warnings first especially if you dont read dark romance.

[Amber Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Holy heck! That was so good! I’m blown away and can’t wait to dive into the next book!

Check triggers before reading. This book is a dark mafia romance, best friend’s brother, college town, “haunted” grounds, spicy.

Tempest and Ardyn are an explosion! Ardyn has been sheltered most of her life and the one time she goes to have fun tragedy strikes. Tempest will do anything to make sure she stays alive and safe…well until she steps foot onto his college campus and jeopardizes everything. Will the secrets remain secrets or are they all in danger?

[tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded up for review)! I was actually going to to read broken beauty first but saw that it intersects with the world of Cruel Promise leading me to read this one first. It was a little confusing in the beginning but once I started understanding the plot, it got better. Ardyn was just a tad annoying (shes one of those fmc’s thats irritates you with her actions 😅) but i loved temptest & clover! i do have a lot of questions.. and i hope in broken beauty, some of it is answered. it lacked some information that i felt was necessary to the story but nonetheless it was an intriguing read. It is more on the darker side of dark romance so make sure to read trigger warnings before diving in. the setting was my favorite (gothic/dark acadamia) & while it does have mafia ties, it leans more towards the secret society side. I’m excited to read broken beauty next!

[Kandace Denys (bookish_kayy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad

This was a wild ride, and Ardyn probably had the worst luck of anyone in life. Ending didn’t feel resolved, and I know this leads to the next book in the series, but Ardyn and Tempest needed at least another chapter.
Interesting enough that I’ll revisit other books in the series

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no real plot here....but I guess I don't really need one when it comes to a taboo toxic ass relationship. Pepper in some random unnecessary murder, a dash of choking, a cup of dubious consent, and you caught me. Hook, line, and sink whatever the saying is. Horrible set of people that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Crystal]

DNF @ 39%
Nothing really wrong with the storyline, but I was doing the audiobook, and just couldn't stand the narration (mostly her, but even Liam, whom I have loved in the past, was annoying me). I could have switched to the ebook, but its been weeks since I started it and by now, I'm not interested in their story anymore.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 43%. I am just not into it and have other things on my gigantic TBR list. The author's forward at the beginning notes that the ML is a villain, and he is. I cannot get behind a guy like that in a book that is theoretically romance. I get the concept behind dark romance, but not so much the appeal with ones like this, where there is essentially only weird obsession and assholery/abuse.

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good arc, lately I have been into dark college romance books

[ash]

i had to dnf at 33% … really not down with the seances or spells 😃

[Em buerg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bro what

I feel so indifferent to this book lol

[The Lushy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titan Falls is everything dark and sinister that my black heart craves. I live for twisted tales of secrets and lies with an anti-hero that I love to hate (or hate to love) and a fierce heroine who dares to go into the dark.

And Ketley delivers with Tempest!

She warns us that Tempest is a villain, but I was unprepared…in the best way possible. Because this man, is the kind of villain that gets you panting and keeps your knickers twisted. He’s angry, ruthless, unforgiving, but like a moth to a flame it’s impossible to not get sucked into his orbit.

However, Ardyn deserves all the praise. We watch a girl grow into a woman and be able to go head-to-head with all the dark and delicious. Our heroine experiences a life that makes her into the strong young woman we meet. And allows her to walk into the darkness.

With chemistry that’s combustible, Tempest and Ardyn make it hard to stop reading and begging for it to never end. But, I’m sure we’ll see them again as Ketley undoubtedly has more secrets of Titan Falls that she has yet to reveal.

But until then…

Tempest holds a top spot in the Villains I Love category!

[Shyla S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tempest by Ketley Allison is a deliciously dark, twisted, enemies to lovers, college romance that keeps you on your toes right up until the last page.

Read & know your triggers before reading... This one contains A LOT!

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤/𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙚 = Tempest Callahan and Ardyn Kaine
𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 = No
𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 = Yes
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙚(𝙨) = DARK Romance ♥ Mafia/Secret Society ♥ College ♥ Suspense ♥ Forced Proximity ♥ Bully ♥ Enemies to Lovers/Opposites Attract ♥ Second Chance ♥ Best Friends brother ♥ Age Gap ♥ virgin & sheltered heroine ♥ Anti-Hero ♥ Dual POVs
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧(𝙨): Language ♥ Sexual Content ♥ Dub/Non-Con ♥ Kidnapping: Adults (present) ♥ Kidnapping: child (past) ♥ "Rape" ♥ Murder ♥ Torture ♥ Mental Health (anxiety, depression, etc.) ♥ Abuse ♥ Witchcraft/Dark Arts
𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙇𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 = 🔥🔥🔥🔥
𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tempest = Older brother of one of Ardyn's best friends. He's dark, mean/nasty, moody and a little psychotic. Living a secret life. A perfect villian.

Ardyn = Tramatic past. Sheltered/protected. Has had a crush on Tempest since she was little. Attending her first year of college.

[Kricketland · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: Cruel Promise (formerly released as Tempest)
GENRE: Dark Romance
AUTHOR: Ketley Allison
TROPE: Enemies to Lovers
TYPE: Standalone (Titan Falls #1)
POV: Dual POV
MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

⚠️ Check trigger warnings; this dark content is for +18 readers.

Cruel Promise is my first read by Ketley Allison, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Titan Falls series of standalone books has some tie-in to the Briarcliff Academy series, but it did not hamper my enjoyment of starting with Cruel Promise. The storyline centers around Ardyn, who was incredibly sheltered by her parents after surviving a kidnapping as a child. Ardyn has finally made her way to College, setting some independence for herself and moving into the dorms with her childhood best friend, Clover. The only issue is Clover's older brother Tempest also attends the same school and has always seemed to show hatred towards Ardyn, even though she has secretly had a crush on him for years. Cruel Promise was dark, spicy, twisted with a slight mafia, slight revenge vibe, with tension and angst. I am giving a rating of 4 / 5 Stars.